Coin-freed apparatus



Oct. 18,1927. H J DOLMAN 77 COIN FREED APPARATUS Filed Feb. 17, 1927 I 12 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Oct. 18,1927. H J DOLMAN 77 COIN FREED APPARATUS Filed Feb.l'7. 1927 2Shets-Sheet 2 m mm/a Patented Oct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY JAMES DOLMAN, F BRISTOL, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BRECKNELL, MUNBO'&:

- 1 ROGERS LIMITED, 0F BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

GOIN-FREED APPARATUS.

Application filed February 17, 1927, Serial-No. 168,688, and in GreatBritain February 6, 1926.

This invention relates to coin-freed apparatus more particularly of thekind which are provided with means for detecting improper coins, ordiscs, inserted in the coin 5 chute and directing them into other chutesfrom which they pass from the apparatus without operating the releasemechanism, and this invention has for its principal object to provideimproved means for detecting and rejecting coins, or discs, which are oftoo small diameter, have smooth, or imperfectly milled edges, or areover, or under, weight.

Means in accordance with this invention are more especially intended foruse with the known means for detecting and rejecting improper coins, ordiscs, such for example as perforated coins, or discs; coins, or discsof spurious metal; or coins or discs which are either too thin or toothick.

This invention consists in providing coinfreed apparatus moreparticularly of the kind intended to be freed by milled-edge coins withimproved means whereby unmilled, or

5 imperfectly milled, coins will be detected and directed away from thechute, or channel,-

into which properly milled coins pass to releasing mechanism of anyknown, or suitable, kind, and mainly consists in providing the saiddetecting means with a counterbalanced-oscillatory carrier so arrangedand adapted that only properly milled coins delivered'thereinto will begripped and carried thereby over and delivered into an inlet of the saidchute, or channel, along which they then pass to the releasingmechanism,

whilst unmilled, or imperfectly milled, coins,

or coins of small diameter, or of under weight, delivered thereinto,will, upon move- 40 ment of the said carrier, fall therefrom before ithas reached the inlet to the said chute, or channel.

We will describe this invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 shews in elevation coin detecting meansincluding means in accordance with this invention for directing properlymilled coins to a chute, or channel, along which they pass to thereleasing mechanism (which 59 in the example hereinafter described 18presumed to be drawer releasing mechanism) and unmilled, or imperfectlymilled.eoins,or

coins of small diameter, or of under weight, to another part of theapparatus, the part of the said apparatus to which the said detect ngmeans is attached beingshewn in section. Figure 2 is a similar view toFig: ure 1 but shews the counter-balanced oscillatory carrier in adifferent position to that shewn in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a transverse.

adapted that when the hinged member 4 isin its normal, or closed,position, their opposed surfaces constitute a channel, or chute, 6 forthe passage of the coins, one of which is indicated at w in Figures 1and 2 respectively.

Means are shewn for detectingand ejecting perforated coins, or discs,passed into the channel, or chute, 6 the said means consisting of an arm7 pivotally mounted at 8 to the hinged member 4 and having a part 7which projects, through a slot 4- in the said member, into the saidchannel or chute. The

leading edge of a coin, or disc, as it passes along the channel, orchute, 6 engages with the inwardly projecting part 7 of the arm 7 insuch manner that it is turned on its pivot 8 and the said projectingpart then bears lightly on the face of the said coin, or disc. If thecoin, or disc, be unperforated it will pass freely along the channel, orchute, 6 regardless of the projecting part 7 of the arm 7 bearingthereon, but if the coin, or disc, be perforated (for example as shewnat m Figure 3) the said projection will enter the perforation andprevent thepassage' of the said coin, or disc, along the said channel,or chute, and when the hinged member 4 is turned on the hinge-pin 5 thesaid perforated coin, or disc, will fall by gravity onto a part of theapparatus from which it may, if desired, pass to a reject, or return,chute, not shewn. The arm 7 has a pin. 7 passing transverselytherethrough with which the outer side of the hinged member 4 engagesout sufficiently to permit of the extraction a further precaution, the

therefrom of a packet, or other article.

Means are'also provided whereby spurious coins, or discs, made ofmagnetically attractable metal are detected and rejected. This is shewnas being effected by ahorseshoe magnet 10 adjustably secured to thehinged member 4 with its end adjacent to the ath of a coin, or disc, 00(see more particu arly Figure 4) so that a magnetically attractablemetal coin, or disc, passing along the channel, or chute, 6 will beattracted and magnetically held thereby. 7

When the hinged member 4 is turned on the. pin 5 the spurious 'metalcoin, or disc, held by the magnet 10 will be moved into engagement witha piece 11 secured to the fixed member 1 and projecting downwardlybetween the legs of the horse-shoe magnet 10 so that the said coin,or-disc, will be forced from the said magnet and fall onto thebeforementioned part of the apparatus from which it may, if desired,pass to a re ect, or return, chute.

The lower part of the channel, or chute, 6 upon which the coins, ordiscs, run is shewn as being constituted by a run, or ledge, 4" formedon the inner side of the hinged member 4 which abuts against a'stop 12provided on the fixed member 1 whiclnstop can be adjusted so that thereis a space 6 between the opposed surfaces of the said fixed member andthe said run, or ledge, through which coins, or discs, of less than theproper thlckness will slip and fall onto. the before mentioned part ofthe apparatus from which they may pass to 'a reject, or return, chute.

Rejection of coins or discs of too large diameter may be effected bymaking the length of the inlet slot 3 equal to the diameter of the cointhe apparatus isintended to receive, and if desired, the fixed member 1may have an inwardly projecting rib, or flange 1 adjacent to the upperend of the said inlet slot which co-operates with an inwardly projectingpiece 4 formed on the hinged member 4 adjacent to the lower end of thesaid inlet slot, the space between the opposed surfaces of the saidco-operating parts being equal to the diameter ofthe coin as aforesaid,so that coins, or discs, of larger diameter cannotbe passedtherebetween. As

fixed member 1 mentioned part of the apparatus from which they may passto a reject, or return, chute. The said adjustable device mayconveniently be the screw 13 (see more particularly Figure 4) whichsecures the piece 11 to the fixed member 1 before referred to. Coins, ordiscs, leaving the outlet end of the channel, or chute, 6 pass into anoscillatory carrier which is shewn as consisting of a semi-circular, orarc-shaped piece 14 having at its mid-part an outwardly projecting arm15 by which it is pivotally connected to a bracket 16 secured to thehinged member .4 and has a screw-threaded stem 17 upon which acounter-balance weight 18 can be adjusted and normally acts to turn thesaid carrier in the position shewn, in Figure '1 to receive a coin, ordisc, as it leaves the channel, or chute, 6. Pivotally mounted on'oneend of the semi-circular or arc-shaped, piece 14 is a yieldable finger,or pawl, 19 and pivotally mounted on the other end of the saidsemi-circular, or arc-shaped, piece is another yieldable finger, orpawl, 20 controlled by a spring 21. These yieldable fingers 19 and 20engage with the milled edge ofthe coin of correct diameter in suchmanner as to retain the said coin in the carrier whilst it is turning onits pivots 22, which turning is effected by the weight of the said coinoverbalancin'g that of the counter-balance weight 18. By. the momentumimparted to the carrier as aforesaid the coin is brought over asecondchute 23 which is shewn secured to the fixed member 1 and when the saidcarrier has turned to the required position, shewn in Figure 2, todeliver the said coin into the said second chute, a tail 20, on theyieldable linger, or pawl, 20 engages with an abutment 24 adjustablysecured to the said chute which causes the said finger, orpawl, to turnon its pivot, in opposition to the action of the spring 21, and therebyreleases the said coin which then falls, by gravity, into the saidsecond chute along which it then passes to any known, or suitable,drawer re ease mechanism (not shewn). Although the aforesaid describedmeans for gripping a properly milled-edge coin is eminently suitable itis to be understood that the invention is not limited to the said meansas it is obvious that other gripping devices may be employed withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. The semicircular, orarc-shaped, piece 14 is shewn provided at its mid-part with a pair ofinwardly projecting sprin blades 25 which, besidesconstituting gui esfor centralizing the coin in the carrier so that it is properly grippedby the fingers, or pawls, 19 and 20 I also act to prevent the said coinfalling sideways therefrom. WVhen a coin, or disc, of smaller diameterthan that of a coin for which the apparatus is intended, or a coin, ordisc, having a plain edge, or an imperfectly milled edge is passed intothe carrier it will not be held therein by the yieldable fingers orpawls, 19 and 20 and as the said carrier turns, by the weight of thesaid coin, or disc, it will fall from the said carrier (before thelatter has reached the position shewn in Figure 2) onto .thebefore-mentioned part of the apparatus from which it may, if desired,pass to a reject, or return, chute. The counter-weight 18 is so adjustedthat the carrierfl lwill only be turned to a position over the inlet ofthe chute 23 by milled coins of either correct weight or of over weight.A milled coin of under weight would either not turn or wouldinsufficiently turn the said carrier to deliver it into the chute 23 andupon movement of the hinged mounted on the said chute, the counterweight27 on the tail end of which can be so adjusted that coins of correctweight will pass along the said lever without turning it and pass out atthe outlet end 23 of the said chute, but coins of greater weight willover-balance the weight 27 and cause the said lever to turn on its pivotwhereupon the said coin will fall through the said opening onto thebeforementioned part of the apparatus from which it may, if desired,pass to a rejecet, or return, chute.

If desired the hereinbefore described oscillatory carrier for selectingmilled coins, from unmilled, or imperfectly milled coins, or coins ofsmall diameter, or of less than a predetermined weight, may be usedalone in co-operation with an inlet coin chute such as 6, the means fordetecting and rejecting coins, or discs, which are either too large indiameter or are too thick, are perforated are made of magnetizablemetal, or which are too thin, being dispensed with, and, if desired, thesaid carrier may be employed as a means for carrying coins, one at atime, from one part of the apparatus to another part of the apparatus toensure that only one win is passed at a time so that the lieto permitsaid carrier to be swung into substantially vertical position by theweight of a coin so long as the coin is held therein, in combinationwith means for releasing the coin when the carrier is in substantiallyvertical position.

2. In a coin-freed apparatus. an inclined chute, a second inclined chutehaving one end below said first chute, and an oscillator coin carrierpivoted above the upper en of said second inclined chute with its coincarrying end, when in normal position, adjacent the lower end of saidfirst inclined chute, in combination with means on the coin carrying endadapted to grip coins of predetermined character, counterbalancing meansupon said carrier adapted to maintain said carrier in normal positionbut to permit a coin of proper weight when gripped by the coin carryingend to swing the carrier into substantially vertical position above thesecond chute, and means uponthe second chute for releasing the coin whenthe carrier is in the last named position.

3. In a coin-freed apparatus, a pivoted coin carrier in combination withfingers on said carrier adapted to yield for reception of a coin, one ofsaid fingers being adapted to retain the coin, and a spring tending tohold the other finger in retaining position.

4:. In a coin-freed apparatus, a pivoted oscillatory coin carrier, incombination with two fingers pivoted to said coin carrier adapted togrip a coin, and a spring controlling one of said fingers, the otherfinger bein controlled by the wei ht. of a coin whidli the fingers areadapte to grip.

5. In a coin-freed apparatus, a pivoted oscillatory coin carrier, incombination with two fingers pivoted to said coin carrier, and

a spring controlling one of said fingers, the

of said arc-shaped piece, and a spring controlled finger pivotalhmounted on the other end of said arcshaped piece, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a coin-freed apparatus, a counterbalanced oscillatory carrlercomprlsmg an arc-shaped coin-gripping piece, and an outwardly projectingarm at the mid-part of said arc-shaped piece adapted to be pivotallyattached to a desired part of the apparatus, in combination with acounter-balancing'weight adjustable on said outwardly projecting arm topermlt full displacement of the oscillatory carrier by a coin ofpredetermined weight, but only partial displacement of the carrier by acoin below the predetermined weight, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY JAMES DOLMAN.

